Australia's Charts Draw Line on AI Sound

Australia's music charts have officially banned songs that are largely or wholly created by artificial intelligence. As of this week, releases must be "substantially human made" to qualify for chart consideration, a move by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) to "promote the human nature of artistry."

The decision follows a recent controversy where a cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer," later revealed to have AI credits, topped the ARIA dance singles chart and reached number two overall. This AI-generated track garnered over 48 million streams on Spotify alone and became a radio staple.

ARIA clarified that AI assistance is still permissible for mastering, auto-tune, or drum machines. However, humans must author the song, perform lead vocals, and play primary instruments. This updated code, aligned with IFPI guidelines, also excludes music with "stream or chart manipulation concerns."

ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd stated that a chart rewarding "unlicensed AI output" would undermine the recorded music industry. Artists must now declare AI use, with ARIA reserving the right to retrospectively adjust chart positions or demand the return of awards if music is found to be largely AI-generated. Artists can challenge exclusions, and support for the move has come from acts like Peking Duk.